Path: utzoo!utgpu!watserv1!watmath!att!pacbell!pacbell.com!mips!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!rpi!netserv2!deven From: deven@rpi.edu (Deven T. Corzine) Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga Subject: Re: Game vs Multitasking Message-ID: Date: 4 Jun 90 09:15:29 GMT References: <9006010158.AA01507@jade.berkeley.edu> <18302@well.sf.ca.us> Organization: Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY Lines: 37 In-Reply-To: farren@well.sf.ca.us's message of 2 Jun 90 11:12:54 GMT C506634@UMCVMB.MISSOURI.EDU ("Eric Edwards") writes: Eric> Many times in this discussion I've been told that the "average Eric> amiga" is a 512k A500 with 1 drive. On 2 Jun 90 11:12:54 GMT, farren@well.sf.ca.us (Mike Farren) said: Mike> Whether or not that's the "average", it IS the baseline. If you Mike> can make your application run on a 512K one drive Amiga, you'll Mike> sell a lot more copies of it than if it requires more - because Mike> while many people DO have more resources, many do not. If you Mike> require 1M, you're cutting out all of those 512K guys right from Mike> the start - and why do that unless you absolutely have to? The key is to think ahead. If you can run an application on a 512K machine, all the better. [what about the original 256K A1000? ;-)] However, it is a poor idea indeed to *assume* the configuration of the least common denominator... In a few years, you can be pretty sure a 512K A500 will NOT be the most common configuration, just as the old 256K A1000 is by no means common now. If developers write with the current configurations too much in mind, they work themselves into a corner later when configurations change. The Amiga OS offers great capabilities, and makes it easy to be widely compatible between configurations, IF you follow the (very clearly stated) system programming guidelines. The fools who insist on breaking the rules at every turn will find themselves buried deeply as times change, an they will have no one to blame but themselves. Deven -- Deven T. Corzine Internet: deven@rpi.edu, shadow@pawl.rpi.edu Snail: 2214 12th St. Apt. 2, Troy, NY 12180 Phone: (518) 271-0750 Bitnet: deven@rpitsmts, userfxb6@rpitsmts UUCP: uunet!rpi!deven Simple things should be simple and complex things should be possible.